Microscope system and image data transfer method therefor

Abstract

A microscope system includes a microscope apparatus including a stage on which a sample is placed and an objective lens that collects laser light to the sample on the stage, a light source unit including a light source that emits the laser light, a scanning mechanism configured to guide the laser light from the light source unit and change a direction of the guided laser light to scan the sample on the stage, a photodetector configured to guide returned light from the objective lens of the microscope apparatus and convert the guided light into an electrical signal, a controller configured to control at least the scanning mechanism and generate image data from the electrical signal output from the photodetector, and a computer connected to the controller through a bus interface and configured to process the image data transferred from the controller through the bus interface.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A microscope system, comprising:
 a microscope apparatus including a stage on which a sample is placed and an objective lens that collects laser light to the sample on the stage; 
 a microscope controller configured to control a stage drive unit of the microscope apparatus; 
 a light source unit including a light source that emits the laser light; 
 a scanning mechanism configured to guide the laser light from the light source unit and change a direction of the guided laser light to scan the sample on the stage; 
 a photodetector configured to:
 guide returned light from the objective lens of the microscope apparatus and convert the guided light into an electrical signal, and 
 provide the electrical signal to a scanner controller; 
 
 the scanner controller configured to:
 control at least the scanning mechanism and generate image data from the electrical signal received from the photodetector, and 
 communicate a feedback control signal to the light source unit in response to the electrical signal received from the photodetector; and 
 
 a computer connected to:
 the microscope controller through a first interface, wherein the computer is configured to communicate a first control signal to the microscope controller via the first interface, and 
 the scanner controller through a second interface separate from the first interface, wherein the second interface comprises a bidirectional bus interface and the computer is configured to communicate a second control signal to the scanner controller via the second interface and process the image data transferred from the scanner controller to the computer via the second interface, and wherein the second control signal is configured to control an image obtaining rate of the microscope system based on the processing of the image data at the computer. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The microscope system according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the scanner controller further controls the light source unit and the photodetector. 
 
     
     
       3. The microscope system according to  claim 2 , wherein
 the computer includes at least one of GPGPU (General-Purpose computing on Graphics Processing Units) and GPU (Graphics Processing Units) for processing of the image data. 
 
     
     
       4. The microscope system according to  claim 3 , wherein
 the scanning mechanism, the photodetector, and the scanner controller are integrated as a scanner unit. 
 
     
     
       5. An image data transfer method for a microscope system including
 a microscope apparatus including an objective lens that collects laser light to a sample on a stage, 
 a microscope controller configured to control a stage drive unit of the microscope apparatus, 
 a scanning mechanism configured to guide the laser light emitted from a light source unit and change a direction of the guided laser light to scan the sample on the stage, 
 a photodetector configured to:
 guide returned light from the objective lens of the microscope apparatus and convert the guided light into an electrical signal, and 
 provide the electrical signal to a scanner controller, 
 
 the scanner controller configured to:
 control at least the scanning mechanism and generate image data from the electrical signal received from the photodetector, and 
 communicate a feedback control signal to the light source unit in response to the electrical signal received from the photodetector, and 
 
 a computer configured to communicate a first control signal to the microscope controller via a first interface, communicate a second control signal to the scanner controller via a second interface separate from the first interface, and process the image data generated by the scanner controller, wherein the second control signal is configured to control an image obtaining rate of the microscope system based on the processing of the image data at the computer, 
 the image data transfer method comprising: 
 transferring the image data from the scanner controller to the computer through the second interface, wherein the second interface comprises a bidirectional bus interface. 
 
     
     
       6. The microscope system according to  claim 1 , wherein the feedback control signal is communicated to control an emission intensity or an emission timing of the light source associated with the light source unit.